Concussions between men and women are different

Concussions are one of the head injuries that are quite often preventable. Sports and recreational activities are at the top of the list of causes for concussions. Sometimes, the sport, like soccer, almost seems to invite the concussion when you look at the heading of the soccer ball.

Other activities, like cycling or roller blading shouldn’t cause concussions, but because so many people don’t wear helmets, they are very prone to head injuries should they fall.

According to new research released yesterday at the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, researchers found that female soccer players and those who had earlier concussions recuperated differently than male soccer players and those who had not had a previous concussion.

While the issue of having second or third (or more) concussions is expected, the female/male one seems a bit surprising.

Researchers followed 234 soccer players, 61% of whom were female after they had sustained a concussion. They all ranged in age from 8 to 24 years old. The results showed that females did not do as well in reaction time than men, just as those who had previous concussions didn’t do as well as those who had just experienced their first concussion.

Information like this is important because it alerts physicians to the differences in the sexes and, hopefully, will affect treatment.

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